The same commencement speech was heard by both people, yet the “lesson” was interpreted differently. One person said, “The speaker told us, ‘Be careful not to dream too much, because you’ll be disappointed.’” The other individual claimed, “He stated we ‘should dream big and be comfortable with failure.’”
Who understood the speaker’s words correctly? Both did, of course.
‘Tis the season of advice dumping: Graduates everywhere are captive to “if I were you” messages by their elders. (It’s one more lecture they have to endure.) Advice giving is risky business. People often hear what they want or are seeking to hear.
Unsolicited advice is like having an intruder in your home. Some bosses think they’re coy by asking “May I give you some advice?” (What are you going to say, “no”?) But just because someone’s in your home doesn’t mean they are welcomed.
The best advice I ever received is when someone asked me, “What have you learned is the best way to help another discover a new truth?” It’s not lost that they didn’t tell me how to do this.
Today, what mini-graduation speech will you make by asking someone else a question of discovery?
